Since the time Notre Dame running rack Julius Jones was 11 years old, the small town of Big Stone Gap, Va., knew what the rest of the country is finding out – Jones has NFL talent.

Jones is now fulfilling what the town of 4,856 knew long ago. In Notre Dame’s 57-7 win over Stanford, Jones became the first Irish back to rush for 200 yards or more three times in the same season. But Jones almost did not get a chance to finish out his stellar career at Notre Dame.

Jones was suspended by Notre Dame for the entire 2002 season due to poor grades. What ended up being a surprising 10-3 year for the Irish became a disappointing one for Jones.

‘It wasn’t typical of his ability,’ Phil Robbins, Jones’ high school coach, said. ‘He might have been in a curriculum that was too demanding.’

Instead of quitting, Jones turned to his brother, Thomas Jones, a running back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for help. Jones went to Arizona, where his brother was then playing with the Cardinals. While in Arizona, Jones took classes to remain eligible, worked out and spent time with Thomas. It was symbolic of the strong relationship the brothers always had.

‘We’ve always been tight,’ Jones said. ‘The only thing we competed in was Nintendo games.’

Thomas and Betty, Jones’ parents, emphasized strong family values that still stick with the seven Jones children.

‘My parents are good people and hard workers,’ Jones said. ‘It’s the way they raised me and my siblings. I have a lot of respect for them.’

Jones enjoyed the family life and joked about the advantages of being part of a large family.

‘There was never a dull moment. There were always girls around, so I know how to treat a girl.’

With the strong family foundation, Jones had room to grow. As a child, he followed Thomas around. Despite being separated by three years in age, Thomas embraced the job of being a role model.

‘I tried to copy the things he did,’ Jones said. ‘I followed him all around. It was great to have a role model like that.’

He and his brother were teammates on the 1995 Powell Valley High School football team. Thomas, then a senior, mentored his brother, a freshman. Jones succeeded in following Thomas, leading Powell Valley to a 28-game winning streak and consecutive state titles during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Jones rushed for more than 300 yards in each of his last two games at Powell Valley.

‘He was head and shoulders above everyone else,’ Robbins said. ‘He’s a good kid, a good student and a good leader.’

Jones was a four-year letter winner in football, basketball and track at Powell Valley. He set the state record for most rushing yards in a playoff game with 321. He also set a state record in track, running the 300 hurdles in 38.7 seconds. Being successful did not inflate Jones’ ego. He continued to practice the values that his parents preached to him.

‘This is a very small community and Julius was just one of the guys,’ Robbins said.

Like Notre Dame, the community and tradition of Powell Valley High School was very strong. It’s part of the reason he attended Notre Dame.

‘I had a strong tradition in high school, so I wanted it in college,’ Jones said.

Jones continued to excel at Notre Dame. He preformed so well at running back and on special teams that Athlon, a fantasy sports magazine, named Jones to its NFL All-Decade Team for 2000-2009.

After missing what was supposed to be his senior year in 2002, Jones returned to Notre Dame for the 2003 season. Jones pushed himself and made a commitment to graduate from Notre Dame. Jones is on pace to graduate this spring.

‘I said sometime ago that it would have been very easy for Julius to be anywhere, but when he chose to come back, he wanted to comeback and complete a goal that he had set for himself and a commitment that he made to his family,’ Notre Dame head coach Tyrone Willingham said. ‘To me that says that the young man has a great deal of strength to do that.’

Now, with Notre Dame eliminated from bowl contention, Jones is preparing to play his last college game. One stage of Jones’ career is coming to an end. If the town of Big Stone Gap has anything to say about it, Jones will enjoy many more years of football.

‘I knew that if he continued to grow and develop that he would have a great opportunity,’ Robbins said.

For now, Jones is only worried about playing his last collegiate game. With his mom and dad in the stands, he will close out one of the top careers in Notre Dame history. A spot in the NFL may be only a short time away.

‘I’ve always dreamed about it. I’m blessed to have the opportunity,’ Jones said.

Displaying the attitude that has brought him success, Jones is not worried about his future.

Said Jones: ‘We don’t worry about it. Things will take care of themselves.’

Published on December 3, 2003 at 12:00 pm